


Hairy Little Problem

by orphan_account



Series: Tales of Teamfortress 2 [3]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: 10th Class, F/M, K-9 unit, Romance, Werewolf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-08-27 23:43:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16712284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Mr.Mundy has worked for BLU for a little over a year, he has grown familiar with his team but like everything else he feels more an observer then a participant. Following the return to base after holiday break there have been changes, a new class has been lured into service. BLU Sniper's heart will never be the same and nor will his body...





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> This story was my first fanfic and written in roughly 2013-2014, up until recently it was my most praised fanfic.  
> This is an OC ship but I was much more ignorant of relationships in general back then so I thought I'd keep it safe for my first fic. I've grown a lot since then if Wind for Broken Wings is anything to go by.  
> There have been some edits with canon development and merging with my other stories but is still very much the same. It runs parallel with Sang and has elements of Altered, all three were written at the same time.

It was the early afternoon of the second day of the New Year, 1969, when the BLU Sniper parked his van in its usual place at the BLU base of 2Fort. The almost factory looking BLU base was just opposite the more rustic RED base, separated by a small stretch of water and connected by a covered bridge. It had been the scene of many battles, fought over suitcases filled with secrets, where he had killed nine different men countless times and had died more than a few times himself. However a professional doesn’t complain about his job and this job paid better than any other he could possibly have.  
  
Still returning to this place was bittersweet after ten days of vacation for the holidays but then again Sniper had spent most of it in his van alone with his thoughts and a good cup of coffee, exactly how he wanted to. Sure Sniper had called up his parents two days before Christmas from a payphone but like usual the call consisted mostly of his dad arguing with him about his job and very little time with his mum, who had asked him if he was going to visit…He had lied and said he didn’t have Christmas off… Sniper loved his parents but he wasn’t the kind of guy who cared for company, let alone company that would have relentlessly harassed him the whole time either by calling him a “crazed gunman” or trying to hook him up with some sheila that was the daughter or niece of someone he didn’t even like. Plus Sniper didn’t need a wife and any woman that might catch his eye would never be able to handle him or what he did. It wasn’t until he entered the bathroom that he noticed something was different about the old base.  
  
“What the…”began Sniper, moving his sunglasses down his nose to make sure he was seeing the scene before him correctly…  
  
There were no open urinals, where they had been were new stall walls and that wasn’t the only thing, it looked like someone had actually cleaned the entire bathroom…Sniper stood there dumbfounded for a moment till he heard the familiar sound of a toilet flushing and the BLU Engineer walked out of a nearby stall.  
  
“Howdy Stretch…You okay?” asked the Engineer, realizing Sniper was still glancing around at the improved bathroom.  
  
“Yeh, what happened to the bathroom?” returned Sniper, gesturing to the new stalls.  
  
“Oh that, they are still there, just closed off, see?” replied Engineer as he opened the nearest of the new stalls to reveal a urinal, which also looked like it had been cleaned.  
  
“I see mate but why? And why has this whole placed been cleaned?” asked Sniper as he motioned his hand in an arc.  
  
“ We’re gettin’ a new teammate remember? Solider mentioned it…Oh that’s right, you had already gotten in your van…” replied Engineer and he rubbed his chin, not sure how much to tell Sniper because he was privy to information known only to him, Medic and Solider.   
  
“Bloody hell…What can ya tells me about the bloke?” asked Sniper only to cock a brow when Engineer didn’t answer right away.   
  
“ Not much, Solider just said it would be a class we hadn’t seen before and that they would arrive later today…I gotta go help Heavy clear out that extra supply closet to make room for their living quarters. “said Engineer, leaving before Sniper could ask any more questions.  
  
As Sniper relieved himself he couldn’t help but be filled with questions, the main one being-‘Why did Engineer say they when he meant one?’  
  
Making his way back to his van he passed the rooms meant for the BLU team and noted that most of them look occupied expect his, which was normal as he always slept in his van, and the extra supply room which was now furnished with a bed and…what was that in the corner by the bed? It looked soft and made of blankets… Just as Sniper poked his head into the refurnished room he heard rushed footsteps that could only be-  
  
“Yo Snipah! Soldier wants us all in the mess hall, says he wants to brief us on dat new teammate…Well c’mon man he says he won’t say any more about it till everyone is there. “called the BLU Scout in his obnoxious voice, running in place as he waited for Sniper, clearly impatient.   
  
“Fine ankle-biter. “replied Sniper as he followed Scout to the mess hall where the rest of the BLU team was assembled with Soldier standing at the head of the main table with his whip in hand and behind his back. Sniper could almost feel the glare he knew was hidden by that helmet. He sat in his usual spot and looked around at his teammates…  
  
Scout was already seated and looking cocky as always while Pyro was messing around with a lighter, ignoring Demoman who looked like he was fighting off a hangover which was more common than most of the team would like. Heavy was talking quietly to the Medic, who was across from him, either about health issues or small talk it didn’t really interest Sniper at the moment. Engineer was scribbling on the notepad he always kept with him, probably some new invention or that higher learning gibberish. Spy was next to Sniper, enjoying the occasional inhale of his cigarette and looking quite amused.  
  
“What’s goin on with ya?” asked Sniper, facing Spy.   
  
The two weren’t exactly friends but shared a mutual understanding of isolation and its necessity as a mercenary. While Spy wore a mask to keep his true identity hidden, so did Sniper. He might engage with the other teammates better then Spy but he had plans on how to kill each one of them if he had too and he was pretty sure Spy did too.   
  
“ You’ll see soon enough mon amie” replied Spy.   
  
There was little Spy loved more than successfully discovering information that was supposed to be hidden from him. From the renovations in the bathrooms to the new medicines Medic had had delivered only pointed to one thing…  
  
“Well boys, listen up! I don’t want to hear any complaints about that bullshit excuse called allergies because our new teammate is actually an honest-to-goodness American duo called the K-9 Unit, composed of  Handler and Hound and you will address each respectively as such. Any questions?” said Solider, his voice his usual loud tone.   
  
The room was quiet for a moment before Scout raised his hand and began to talk before Soldier motioned to him.  
  
“Yeah, how is a dirty dog supposed to help us in combat? Hell I could kill a dog with one swing before it could bit-OOOWW!” Scout’s clutched his left hand with his right as the sting of Soldier’s whip cut his boasting off short.  
  
“ I will not tolerate such talk! I could say pretty much the same about you city boy! Also do not talk before I point to you, do you understand!?!” snarled Soldier. Scout just nodded which only earned him another whack on his left knee.  
  
“Yes sir!” replied Scout, cringing in expectation of being hit again but only received a disgusted huff from Soldier as the rest of the team watched in silence. Soldier had a short fuse but normally he didn’t hit Scout till after a few more remarks, so what had him on edge?  
  
Solider went more into depth about what the role of the K-9 unit, it was support and the Hound’s primary job was detection of enemy combatants, including spies, both cloaked and disguised. As well as guarding the Handler and being used for ambush attacks. Little was said about the Handler, other than controlling the Hound the Handler was armed pretty much like the Engineer expect for a some kind of sword knife, a Tanto,  as a melee instead of a wrench. All and all, not very imposing sounding without the Hound. After the speech the team was dismissed for lunch to eat and discuss the vacation with  Sniper finding himself playing poker with Spy, Demoman and Engineer.  
  
It wasn’t till near dinner time that there was the sound of a car pulling up to the base with rock music blaring… Engineer got up from the card game and went to direct the car to the parking area. At once the rest of the team got up and made their way to the door only for Engineer to walk in first, followed by a  figure that was a little short  at around five foot six inches and was of a medium build with  a slightly curvy silhouette dressed in a blue tunic with bell bottom jeans and black boots…  
  
“You gotta be kidding me! Is dat a woman!?!” exclaimed Scout, summing up everyone’s thoughts exactly expect for Engineer, Medic, Soldier and Spy who all knew beforehand, the first three because they had to make preparations, the last knew from snooping.   
  
 Handler removed her black trilby hat from in front of her face, revealing a angular facial structure framed with long brown hair. Her thin upper lip was curled in a snarl above her larger lower lip, her green eyes narrowed at Scout. She then smiled and snapped her fingers, making Scout raise a brow only to scream in horror as a large black German Shepherd with tan markings rushed inside the building snarling as it lunged at him, knocking him backwards onto the ground. Scout kept screaming as the dog’s jaws snapped mere inches from his face.   
  
“Get it off me! Get if off me!” screamed Scout as most of the team stood still, dumbstruck by the dog’s ferocity.   
  
Soldier looked towards Handler and she whistled which immediately made Hound release Scout and return to her side.  
  
“Now listen here, I agreed to you joining BLU despite you being a lady but I will not tolerate such displays against one’s own teammates. Do you understand!?!”yelled Soldier.  
  
“Yes sir, I understand. “replied Handler  with a nod, she didn’t need to do such a display more than once.   
  
She was here to earn a paycheck, not make friends and would rather her first impression be fierce and let their view of her soften then be thought incapable from the beginning of fighting. Her eyes scanned the rest of the team, most were still shocked and some were clearly put off by what she had done. However none of them looked at her with skepticism though she was sure that would become evident after the shock of Hound’s attack wore off…  
  
Then she locked eyes with Sniper who had been hanging back from the rest of the team, he  almost looked amused by Scout’s fright but that vanished when he looked into her eyes…It wasn’t love at first sight but physical attraction…The pull was broken as Spy approached Handler and gave a slight bow with a smile on his face.  
  
“ Bonjour Handler, on behalf of the BLU team I welcome you to 2Fort and look forward to battling alongside you.” said Spy after he had straightened up and looked into her eyes, extending his hand.  
  
Handler took his hand and shook it firmly but not to where it would be uncomfortable.  The rest of the team then took their turns greeting Handler, all wary of Hound, especially Scout. Sniper hung back, observing like he usually did but did exchange a handshake with Handler, it was tense and awkward because both were aware of their mutual attraction but Handler smiled before speaking:  
  
“Mind showing me where I can get some grub  in this place? I have been on the road for the past few days and haven’t had a decent meal for a while.”  
  
“ Well we are in the mess hall, I’m sure Truckie told ya that. As for a decent meal I’m afraid you’re going to have keep lookin but I can show ya how to get to the tucker here.” replied Sniper as he began to lead her to the trays of food arranged on the far side of the mess hall.   
  
As for what was in the trays it was hard to tell as most of it was burnt being that Pyro had cooked that night’s dinner. Handler scooped up onto her tray what looked like green beans, mashed potatoes and some kind of burnt meat paste. She then followed Sniper to his usual table only for him to cock a brow at her when she sat next to him, the rest of the team looking rather unsure about what to do. Before Sniper could say a word the rest of the team made of their minds and sat down beginning small talk amongst themselves and Handler. Not wanting to seem colder than Spy, Sniper joined in and soon the entire team was having a good time which lasted until it was time for lights out, which Soldier strictly enforced as there would be a battle tomorrow at Dustbowl. The K-9  Unit would not be participating as the duo had a week of training that needed to be completed before they were completely battle ready. So the team said their good nights and went to their rooms, Sniper to his van, to prepare themselves for the upcoming bloodbath tomorrow would bring. 


	2. First Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fighting resumes after break and the K-9 unit is introduced to the field, making their first kill and suffering their first death on BLU's payroll. Questions are raised and some are answered.

The past week had been horrible, not only with the early commute from 2Fort to Dustbowl every morning but the BLU team was having their butts handed to them by the RED team. The first day the BLU team had made it past the first stage only to be deadlocked at the first point of the second stage unable to get the second point, a trend that continued the next day. The stalemate broken on the third only for the BLU team unable to get the second point of the second stage and for the following three days they had been unable to the capture the last point of the third stage. Despite respawn the Sniper could have sworn he was having back problems from all the backstabs from the RED Spy as he set up inside the  BLU spawn, focusing on the RED Heavy who  was just visible through his scope.  
  
Today was the first day that the K-9 units would be  used in battle and according to Soldier their K-9 unit had done rather well in training this past week. Sniper could see past Handler's façade as the team made their morning preparations, she was nervous, probably never killed before…Definitely never died before and he could sympathize with that fear, hell any human would. He knew the team had tried reassuring her that respawn never failed but they would be lying if  they said you ever got completely used to it. If it wasn’t the pain of the death that you dreaded it was those moments of nothingness before you woke up on the cold floor in respawn. Those dark moments made Sniper wonder if there was anything waiting on the other side or if the other side left them in that blackness because it knew they would soon be taken back to the world of the living…  
  
Handler was nervous and to say that the thought of dying wasn’t part of it would have been a lie but what she was more nervous about was letting her team down, dying so often that her presence would have no effect on the outcome. As Handler had buckled on Hound’s bullet proof vest in spawn he had given her a wet lick on the face. For a moment Handler was unsure if she had been wrong with bringing Hound into this but quickly buried the thought as she put on her own black bullet proof vest. Handler had gone through a week of hard training as well as a painful heart transplant as had Hound. As she grabbed her blue military jacket she looked at the yellow insignia, it was a circle with a dog head silhouette facing forward, matching the one on Hound’s blue vest. Handler pulled on the jacket and left it open as she turned back to her locker. Her normal black boots were on her feet with her bell bottom jeans tucked into them so all she had to do was grab her weapons. Handler strapped the Tanto and its sheath to her belt and her left thigh for easy access, her pistol went on a holster on her right hip.The shotgun she held poised in her hands as she got into position behind the gate as the crone began to drone the final numbers of the countdown…  
  
The gates went up and the BLU team rushed out.  Sniper fired his rifle, grinning as the bullet found its mark and the RED Heavy collapsed with a yell.  
  
“Take that ya lard arm simpleton!” called Sniper before moving out of spawn taking aim at the shocked RED Medic.  
  
Handler stayed back and pressed her pointer figure to the side of her nose as she took out her PDA with her left hand, having put the shotgun on her back. At once Hound stopped whining and sniffed the air as his ears flickered. Immediately the signals from his sensory organs were sent to the PDA via a transmitter Engineer had designed and Medic installed in Hound’s brain. Then dots appeared on the PDA’s screen and Handler noticed there was a red dot rather close to…  
  
“Sniper there’s a Spy!” called Handler just in time for Sniper to draw his kukri and slash at the decloaking RED Spy behind him. The RED Spy cried out as his suit was ripped and a red gash was left on his chest.  
  
“Aww did I get blood on your suit?” taunted Sniper as he went for another slash for RED Spy’s throat only for the spy to cloak for a quick retreat.   
  
Handler made a motion with her right hand like a mouth closing rather harshly and immediately Hound rushed forward. Hound snarled as he caught up with the decloaking spy and grabbed onto his leg causing the RED Spy to cry out in pain as he fell forward. Handler moved forward with her shotgun aimed at the RED Spy as he pointed his revolver and…  
  
“NO!” screamed Handler as the sound of six successive shots made their way to her ears and Hound went limp ontop of the RED Spy.   
  
Before the masked man could get out from under the dog’s carcass he found himself looking into the twin barrels of Handler’s shotgun and in the next moment he saw blackness as he was sent to RED spawn, his head destroyed with a point blank shotgun blast.   
  
“Couldn’t hide from a dog’s nose could you snake?” hissed Handler as she looked at the headless corpse, already noting that Hound’s had faded away.   
  
“Thanks heaps…ya going to be okay sheila?” called Sniper as the administrator announced their capture of the first point.   
  
“Yeah, go on ahead, I have to wait for Hound.” replied Handler with a look over her shoulder before going back into BLU spawn.  
  
Sniper nodded before making his way to the captured point and going up the stairs to the tunnel which would give him a higher view to shoot from.  
  
Words could not describe the relief Handler felt when Hound came running to her as she entered spawn. After giving him a small treat the two raced out of the spawn and into the action. However it was short lived as they made their way through the tunnel and were ambushed by the enemy Pyro. The pain was tremendous and seemed to last forever though within a few seconds her body collapsed and she awoke in BLU spawn with Hound. She shivered as she remembered the sound of the flame thrower and the smell of her own flesh burning. Clasping Hound to her chest she sobbed into his fur for a few moments as she realized she had just died in the way she had most feared and it was so much worse than she had ever imagined…  
With a final sob Handler pulled herself together as crying was not going to get rid of the memory and now all she could do was get back out there make that freak pay. She readied her shot gun and made her way back outside, this time going up the stairs of the shed and into the mine tunnel only to find the BLU Demoman doubled over at the entrance.  
  
It looked like he was dry heaving and he wasn’t wounded despite being covered in gore. At his feet was a pile of vomit that smelled strongly of alcohol. He looked terrified and unaware of her presence.  
  
“What the hell happened to you?” remarked Handler only to earn a glare from the Scottish Cyclops.   
  
“None of your business lass, now go on and get on the point!” growled Demoman as he stood up, staggering a bit.   
  
Handler shook her head in disapproval and made her way down the mine. There she launched an ambush on the enemy soldier. With Hound tearing at the soldier's  arm, taking him down as Handler put a bullet in the soldier's head and slashed him across the throat with her Tanto for good measure. The enemy Heavy turned his weapon upon her only to be backstabbed by the BLU Spy as Sniper took down the RED Medic.  With their powerhouse gone the RED team was unable to withstand the BLU onslaught and Point B was captured as well.   
  
The rest of the battle went well for the BLUs with the K-9 unit making a noticeable impact though it was a team effort especially with Demoman recovering and returning to the fray. The K-9 unit was among those who captured the last point, along with Spy and Scout assisted with cover fire from Heavy and Sniper.   
  
The ride home was full of exaggerated stories of the battle, of spectacular feats and impressive kills, no one talking about their many deaths unless it involved getting revenge on the enemy. The good mood continued once they returned to 2Fort with plenty of drinking, where it was discovered Handler not only engaged in drinking but refused beer instead enjoying whiskey shots. However Handler did not get as drunk as most of her teammates, she prided herself as being able to hold her whiskey and while she had just battled beside these men she didn’t yet trust them enough to get too vulnerable. She did notice the team’s shocked reaction when the Demoman retired before any of the others, having not drank as much scrumpy as he normally did apparently. Handler contemplated on telling the team about how he had been sick earlier but decided against it as she went outside into the courtyard with Hound to play a bit of fetch in the lights of the fort. After a few throws Handler noticed that she and Hound weren’t alone, Sniper  was standing in a corner and looking up at the stars, a bottle in hand but still looking sober enough to carry a conversation with…  
  
“Sniper?” called Handler as she approached him as Hound returned the ball to her which she threw again.  
  
“Yeh?” he replied, glancing at but not facing her.  
  
“How long have you…worked this profession?” Handler asked which caught his attention.  
  
“I’ve been making a quid with BLU for a little less than a year; I won’t go back further then that sheila.”  
  
“I was just wondering…how do you deal with it?” Her tone soft and eyes looking for answers as he faced her, his attention captured.   
  
“Depends, do ya mean the killin?”  
  
“No, I mean the dying...”  
  
“Its part of the job and cryin about it ain’t goin change a bloody thing.” His tone was firm but not demeaning.  
  
“I know but…” She lost her courage, thinking that Sniper had not been the best person to talk to about this. He seemed to sense this and gave an understanding look.  
  
“It’s the blackness isn’t it? Makes ya wonder if there is anything after this?” asked Sniper to which Handler only nodded.  
  
“Well sheila the way I look at it is that any higher power has to be aware of respawn and chooses not to show the afterlife because it knows we are going to return here…” He then smiled as his words seemed to cheer Handler up.  
  
“Ya know ya did pretty well today warning of that RED Spook and then blowin his bloody brains out. Much better than your RED counterpart, kept doing that detectin thing right out in the open, couldn’t have been easier if her head was twelve feet tall.”  
  
“Thanks, though I should have done that more, would have avoided that damn pyro.”  
  
“Maybe, maybe not but it was better ya carked it early on and got over it so ya could recover better those other ten times then being too cautious and be bloody useless.”  
  
“Thanks Sniper…Nice moon out tonight...” said Handler, looking up at the sky.   
  
“Yep, she’s a real beaut.” replied Sniper turning his attention back up to the stars.  
Neither of them noticed the lone figure on the balcony as it made its way out of the base and into the surrounding wilderness. 


	3. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The K-9 unit begins to bond with the team, becoming a source of comfort as Handler and Sniper grow closer.

After that starry night following their first battle together, the BLU team came to accept the K-9 unit as part of the team in the following three months. The K-9 unit came to prove not only their skills in fighting one on one with the enemy but as a good team player, especially when guarding the Engineer’s toys from the RED Spy so that the Pyro was freed to do more offense work. Also while most of them wouldn’t admit it they enjoyed having a woman around despite the awkward bathroom situation. Handler wasn’t a spectacular cook or house keeper but she was someone the others could talk to about more emotional and deeper issues then battle tactics and the like without being called a sissy.   
  
This side of the Handler was discovered by Pyro of all people; he had had some sort of nightmare one night and had come to Handler’s room door. At his knock Handler had opened her door to find him in an onesie, his mask, and clutching a ridiculously round stuffed unicorn. When she had asked what he wanted he had motioned to Hound and with a nod she allowed Pyro to approach the dog that had then licked his mask. Pyro spent a long time petting Hound to soothe his nerves as Handler went to get him a warm glass of milk. Apparently the two had a long conversation that night though Handler refused to say what it was about or how she understood him. From that night on she became an emotional outlet for most of the men but probably no one more then Sniper.   
  
Sniper wasn’t sure if it was his  physical attraction to her, her actions during their first battle together or subsequent battles but he found himself wanting to talk to her. After that first night they hadn’t done much together till a week or so later. Sniper had gone to spawn to get his rifle in order to do some target practice only to notice his Huntsman was missing along with his quiver. He figured someone had taken it to practice with, it wouldn’t have been the first time but it would definitely be the last he thought to himself as he entered the shooting range. He heard the unmistakable sound of his Huntsman being fired and he went towards the noise.  
  
“Alright ya wanker I don’t know if ya thought ya could get away with this but no bloke touches m-“ Sniper stopped in mid rant as he saw who was firing his Huntsman, it was Handler in her causal outfit.   
  
It amazed him that a woman could pull back the seventy pound draw weight of the  Huntsman and he looked towards her target…she was hitting the target but only on the outer edges…Sniper tried to glare as she looked back at him, putting the arrow back in the quiver, but it was hard.  
  
“I’m sorry I just saw it and...”said Handler, trailing off as Sniper looked at her with a firm expression.  
  
“I want to see ya fire a shot sheila.” replied Sniper to which Handler nodded and took her stance, aiming before releasing the string only to again hit around the edge of the target. She sighed and looked at Sniper who approached her.  
  
“Your form ain’t right, do ya mind? “asked Sniper as he went to approach her from behind.  
  
Handler hesitated for a moment but nodded, giving her consent so that he put his hands on her and began to arrange her stance. As Sniper touched her she tensed, more so then someone normally should but he dismissed it. After a few moments he was finished and handed her another arrow.  
  
“Give it a burl.”  He then stood back as she fired again and chuckled as he noticed something as her arrow sank closer to the middle of the target but still not a bullseye.  
  
“Shelia ya got to close your left eye, it helps with the aim. “remarked Sniper.   
  
He arranged her back in the correct stance and then moved back to allow her to shoot. This time the arrow hit its mark, right on the edge of the bullseye. Handler smiled widely and looked to Sniper who was also smiling.  
  
The two spent the rest of the morning in that manner till Handler could hit the bullseye consistently on her own. At lunchtime they had gone together, followed by Hound who had been quietly observing them. They had begun to talk, with Handler admitting she took the Huntsman because she had been into archery as a girl but hadn’t shot a bow in years and the Huntsman was just so tempting. Branching off that they talked about other weapons and maybe even having her practice with the sniper rifle. They also talked about their blades, comparing them and talking about how they had got them. Sniper had simply bought his Kukri while Handler had received her Tanto as a present from her father, a war memento from his service days. They then joined a poker game with a few of the other teammates with Pyro coming out as the winner because he was just so damn unreadable when he wanted to be.  
  
However one teammate had not warmed up to the K-9 unit and seemed to be drawing away from the rest of the group as well and that teammate was Demoman. His drinking was getting worse but he always went to his room before eleven at night, even on days off, and wouldn’t be seen again till the morning. Yet he seemed to be constantly tired despite his extended resting during the day and he was constantly telling them to quiet down, complaining of headaches. There was also something else that was odd, Hound growled whenever Demoman entered the same room as him and would get between the bomb maker and  Handler.   No one knew what was wrong with Demoman and any attempts were at best ignored or at worse resulted in a fistfight. Despite the protests of his team Demoman refused to let Medic examine him as if he was scared the doctor would find something…  
  
However this wasn’t on Handler and Sniper’s mind as they walked in front of the base, heading to Sniper’s van. The two were planning on riding together into town to meet the rest of the team at a local bar in celebration of five consecutive victories over the REDs. It was a lovely full moon night so they didn’t need flashlights as they walked by the bridge only for Hound to stop as they passed the bridge opening. He lowered his head as his fur bristled as wicked snarled issued from deep in his chest.  
  
“What’s wrong with ya woofer? “asked Sniper as both teammates stopped to see what could be making the dog act so aggressively.  
  
“I don’t know...”replied Hander as she leaned forward trying to see into the darkness only for Sniper to yank her back as a small glowing orb appeared in the shadows as a snarl louder than Hound’s was heard.  
  
 Hound began barking fiercely at the creature in the darkness only for it to charge him and grab him in its long jaws by the back of his neck. Handler cried out and ran forward only for the beast to let go of Hound and lunge at her. She felt herself being pushed and she lost her balance as she fall sideways to the ground. There was a yell of pain and Handler looked up to see Sniper standing where she had been seconds ago, his left arm in the beast’s jaws. In the light of the moon she could make it out better, its fur was as black as night and its build was canine. Yet it was bigger than any dog she had seen with such a lupine build; on its back legs it was as tall as Sniper himself… Sniper’s yells brought her back to reality and she snapped her fingers pointing at the beast. Hound lunged and landed on the beast’s back, knocking the three of them to the ground.   
  
The two canines began to fight fiercely as Hound lured the beast off of Sniper. Handler helped Sniper up and away from the fight.  He was clutching his bitten arm, blood gushing from between his fingers as Handler ripped the hem of her tunic to create a tourniquet for his arm.  
  
Sounds of the two dogs fighting and Sniper’s cries had caused lights to turn on in both bases and the two BLU teammates, Medic and Heavy, left at the base rushed from the doors.   
  
“Vat’z happening?!?”questioned Medic as he reached his two teammates, his eyes full of concern till he saw Sniper’s arm, then he when into doctor mode.  
  
“Heavy get Herr Sniper into my office, he needz immediate treatment.” ordered Medic to which Heavy immediately followed by picking up the protesting Sniper.   
  
Handler looked towards where the two canines had been fighting, only to see a panting and bleeding Hound, the beast was gone. She ran to her companion and noting his shaking form she motioned him to lay down as she began to access his injuries.   
  
“I vill send Heavy back for you both.” said Medic before running back into the base and to his office.   
  
True to his word  Heavy come out a few minutes later and lifted the nearly eighty pounds of dog with ease and lead the way to Medic’s office.   
  
Inside the office were several hospital beds, nine in total with an operating table located underneath a large Medi Gun mounted to the ceiling.  Currently Sniper was placed on the hospital bed nearest the door with the Medic using his Medi Gun on Sniper’s torn flesh, piecing it back together like clay. Once finished with Sniper he turned the healing gun on Hound who responded more slowly but his flesh too mended. Once satisfied the Medic left to return his Medi Gun to its proper place in the spawn room. Heavy placed Hound on the ground and turned to face Handler.  
  
“I will get towels for cleaning.” Was all he said before he too left the room, leaving Handler alone with Sniper and Hound. She went over to Sniper who still looked a bit shaken but otherwise alright.  
  
“Why? “asked Handler as she looked him in the eyes which were obscured by those orange glasses.   
  
Her hand trailed his arm, the flesh perfectly healed with no wound or even a scar to tell the tale, only dried blood.  His larger hand enveloped her hand and he smiled at her.  
  
“Because sheila I’m gettin kind of fond of ya. “replied Sniper but before Handler could question him any further Heavy returned with two wet towels and two dry, handing one of each to Sniper and Handler.   
  
Sniper began to clean the dried blood off his arm while Handler went to wash up Hound.  
  
Medic returned soon after they were done and checked both of his patients over before advising them to stay at the base and rest for the night which Sniper reluctantly agreed to as it spoiled his and Handler’s plans meeting the others at the bar. The teammates said goodnight to each other and Sniper went off to his van, this time armed with his Kukri. As Handler and Hound returned to their room they passed the bathroom, noting the sound of someone taking a shower...Being a woman Handler couldn’t go see who it was and simply returned to her room for the night. 


	4. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peaceful sleep is not had as two mercenaries struggle to come to terms with their feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter

Later that night Handler had a vivid nightmare, a change of pace from her usual nightmares that were often more memory then fantasy,  this started off pretty much like how the attack had happened earlier that night but there had been no Medic and Heavy to come to the rescue…   
  
As Hound battled the beast and after applying the tourniquet Handler had put Sniper’s unharmed arm over her shoulder and slowly walked him inside the base. It hurt her so much to do what came next but she closed the door behind them so the beast couldn’t follow but neither could Hound. Tears came to her eyes as she realized she had just doomed her companion but Sniper needed medical attention and she couldn’t defend them without her weapons.   
  
She placed Sniper on the nearest hospital bed in Medic’s office, he nearly fell onto the bed; the amount of blood he was losing was starting to affect him. Unable to find any gauze or towels she took a clean sheet from the nearest bed and pressed it to his torn arm; she could have sworn she could see glimpses of bone past the shredded flesh. He cried out as she tried to stop the bleeding, jerking away which sent blood flying across her face. There was no doubt the beast had cut some major vein or arteries  as there was just so much blood pouring from Sniper’s arm that the sheet was soaked red and was beginning to drip. She got another sheet and wrapped it around his arm and again pressed but this time Sniper merely moaned and eventually the bleeding slowed.    
  
“Sniper, the bleeding’s slowing down; I think we might have a-“she stopped abruptly as she looked up at his face which was directed towards her.   
  
The skin was pale and his eyes were glazed over, a look of intense pain and fear etched on his face. Handler grabbed his right wrist and checked for a pulse only to cry out when there was no sign of it and neither was his chest moving with breath. Immediately she began CPR, not caring that she was so close to a man or that her lips were touching his without consent, but after a few minutes it was clear…he was gone. Before she could even think of what to do next she heard Hound let loose a cry and she ran towards the base’s entrance determined not to lose another teammate that night.   
  
She scanned for anything she could use as a weapon but came up with nothing and mentally she was screaming at herself as she opened the door only to see a large set of jaws coming straight for her face and then-   
  
Shooting straight up she looked around frantically, trying to see where she was in the pitch darkness of the former storage room. Fumbling around she finally found her bedside lamp and turned it on to find Hound at the side of her bed, looking up at her with his brown eyes as if concerned. Handler tapped the bed and he jumped onto it and began to lick away the tears building in her eyes.   
  
“Just a nightmare, only a nightmare, it wasn’t real and never was, not this time.” whispered Handler as she stroked Hound’s soft coat.    
  
She contemplated going to check on Sniper but mentally shook herself, it wouldn’t be proper…right? Then again he had saved her from a nasty dog bite, maybe even death if Medic hadn’t been around and he had admitted he was starting to like her. Yet how did he like her? As a trusted comrade with a bond forged by blood and battle or in a romantic sense?   
  
“What’s wrong with me? Why do I care?” Handler asked herself as she put her head in her hands.    
  
As much as she hated to admit she had romantic feelings for anyone she knew she was starting to like the Sniper as more than just a teammate…   
  
Meanwhile Sniper was awake in his van, his mind also preoccupied with a nightmare though it hadn’t started out that way…   
  
He had been back in the Australian Outback tracking his next meal but he wasn’t alone, Handler was there along with her ever present companion Hound who was ahead of him sniffing at the ground. Up ahead was a bit of bush which would offer most critters relief from the hot sun overhead. Placing his rifle scope near his eye he looked into the bush and grinned as he saw the outline of a wallaby. Catching his grin his teammate made a motion with her hand and Hound ran forward, barking into the bush causing the wallaby to hop out of the bush and right into Sniper’s sights. With a pull of the trigger the wallaby was now dinner and Sniper quickly retrieved their prize so he could teach Handler how to clean it. It was a skill she picked quickly and soon they were feasting on roasted wallaby as the sun went down…   
  
That’s when the dream twisted and suddenly all he could see was tinted red and the wallaby was no longer appealing as he looked towards Handler, her happy look fading into terror as she must have noticed the change in him. He lunged at her and was intercepted by Hound who he quickly decapitated with his Kukri to Handler’s horror and hate. A wild cry escaped her as she slashed at him with her Tanto but too late as his blade found its way into her guts. He withdrew the Kukri and licked the blade as she crumpled to the ground, looking up at him with such pained confusion it made him pause as the red faded from his vision. Then he dropped down on his knees next to her and looked into her eyes,   only to see his reflection, it was feral with animalistic features making his expression mirror hers as the life faded from her eyes and with her final breath she whispered:   
“Murderer”   
  
He had woken up in a cold sweat and winced as he felt a sharp pain in both palms. Sitting up on his elbows he raised a hand to his face and looked at the palm, it was bleeding from four cuts what could have only been caused by his nails. He couldn’t make out his nails but the fingertips themselves felt achy as did his teeth…   
“Bloody Hell!”snarled Sniper as he made his to his small bathroom, turning on the light and looked at his bleeding palms.    
  
Washing away the blood he noticed the marks looked less like the crescents of human nails and more like the circles left by claws…Looking at his fingertips he noticed nothing unusual about them, the ache was gone, other than they didn’t match the marks on his palms. He then immediately pulled back his upper lip to look at his teeth but again nothing unusual. Confused he bandaged his palms and made his way back to his bed. He laid there for about an hour, trying to think why the dream, which was similar to several he had had in the past few months, had taken such a horrid turn. For a moment he wondered if he was worried she would see him as a beast and a killer if he pursued an intimate relationship with her. Then again did he want that kind of relationship with anyone? He was a professional and professionals don’t get close to anyone but he had to admit he wondered what it would be like whenever he saw a couple on the TV lately…Her face would come into his mind and he had to cope with the truth that he was attracted to her, not just physically but emotionally as well… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Handler doesn't know that respawn is on 24 hours, just that after battle you come back weak, dizzy and nauseous.


	5. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sniper takes the first step with Handler and Demo gives an ominous message.

The following day began like any other, Handler waking up to the sound of her alarm clock about two hours before the rest of the team. With a slap the outpour of rock music was silenced and she got up to feed Hound his carefully measured portion of dog food. Then she grabbed her robe and towels making her way to the bathroom. There was no one inside, she made double sure of that and once satisfied she disrobed and she made her way straight to the showers. There she got in her stall and pulled the curtain back so no one could see her from the toilet area.  Turning on the shower she sighed as the water ran over her skin, pleasantly warm due to the Engineer’s tweaks to the base’s old plumbing. A humming escaped her as she lathered her hair, enjoying the simple pleasures of life. This is why she got up early, so she could have the first hot water of the day and her privacy but she was up extra early today for a special reason…  
  
Within a few minutes she was done and wrapped her towel around her hair before putting on her robe. She quickly made her way back to her room, shutting the door behind her. After brushing her long hair and putting it up in a braid she then dried off and changed into her usual around the base outfit.  Satisfied with her appearance she put her towels in her hamper and then went to the mess hall. While the teammates took turns making dinner everyone was in charge of their own breakfasts and lunches throughout the week so Handler had an idea…  
  
She took out a skillet, four eggs, three bagels, some slices of American cheese and ham. Then she started a full pot of fresh coffee as was protocol. By the time she had found the coffee cup she was looking for the coffee was done. She placed the cup by the maker and then turned to the oven. After scrambling the eggs and toasting the bagels she placed two them on a plate with the eggs on the bagels which she had placed the cheese and ham making some kind of breakfast sandwiches. She then made the third bagel into a sandwich for her which she ate rather quickly. Then she poured some coffee into the special cup and grabbed the plate with the two bagel sandwiches just as she heard movement from the rooms. Soon the team would be in the mess hall and she didn’t want them to see what she planned to do. So she quickly made her way out of the base with her goodies and was soon at Sniper’s van door.   
  
With her hands full and no other choice she lightly kicked the back door which was all that was needed to wake the experienced assassin that lived within. She backed up just in time as Sniper opened the door. Clearly he had just woken up as he was in just his pants. He wasn’t a model or anything but he was still  attractive and this made Handler blush for a moment. Sniper’s gaze was rather unfocused for a few moments so he didn’t catch the blush. Then he realized Handler had brought him breakfast along with coffee in his “#1 Sniper” cup his eyes widened for a moment before he smiled down at her.  
  
“That all for me sheila?” asked Sniper as he moved aside to let her in.  
  
“Yeah, I already had mine.” replied Handler as she moved into the back of the van for the first time. It was actually kind of cozy feeling if a bit cramped.  
  
“Why? Ya didn’t want to share a bite?” asked Sniper with a teasing tone as he grabbed a white tank top and pulled it over his exposed torso.  
  
“No, I just couldn’t carry it all.”  
  
“I see…So why did ya make me brekkie? “remarked Sniper as he took the plate and cup from her before sitting down on his bed to begin eating.   
  
“To say thanks for last night.”   
  
“Well your welcome but what happened last night wasn’t your bloody fault so don’t feel guilty about me getting bit.” remarked Sniper between bites. He made a slight hum and looked up at the still standing Handler. With a pat of his hand on the mattress he invited her onto the bed which she hesitantly accepted.   
  
“This is rather good, thanks sheila…would you like to-“he was stopped mid-sentence by a loud knocking on the back door.   
  
“Sniper lad! Ya need to let me in, we gotta talk boyo!” yelled who could be no other then Demoman.   
  
“I should probably go, we can talk later. “said Handler as she noted Sniper’s annoyed expression. He simply nodded as he opened the back door, allowing her to walk past the shocked Demoman who didn’t bother to question her as he jumped into the van. Handler went back into the base to get ready for the commute to Gravel Pit. After she was gone Sniper turned on Demoman.  
  
“What do ya want ya bogan!?!” snarled Sniper frustrated with his missed opportunity to ask Handler on a date as well as the Demoman’s recent attitude change.  
  
Demoman rubbed the back of his head as he looked at the ground and sighed before looking up with his one eye.  
  
“Lad I…ya have to stay in tonight after midnight.”  
  
“What the bloody hell for?” questioned Sniper as he glared at his teammate who only shifted his feet before answering:  
  
“Ya wouldn’t believe me if I told ya lad but ya got to stay in, you’ll understand after midnight.”  
  
“Try me.” demanded Sniper, his arms crossed which made Demoman look very reluctant but with another sigh he forged the courage to tell Sniper what he had too.  
  
“Your cursed with the wolf, lad and you’re going to change tonight. “ His tone was rather sober but even that wasn’t enough to convince Sniper.  
  
“So you mean I’m a werewolf?  I think I would have noticed.” replied Sniper, starting to get annoyed.  
  
“No because ya was cursed only last night.”  
  
“Oh really? How?” asked Sniper his tone getting condescending.   
  
“Just stay in lad if ya don’t want to harm that sweet lass of yours.” Snapped Demoman before turning around to leave only for Sniper to grab him by his shoulder to stop him.  
  
“What the bloody hell are ya talkin about?”  
  
“You’ll see camper. “remarked Demoman before breaking out of Sniper’s hold and making his way back to the base.   
  
Sniper watched him go, confused and angry at Demoman’s words. He then went back into his van and got ready for the day.   
The battle that day was hard fought, with everyone dying more than usual but ultimately the REDs were able to defend the last point long enough to win which put all the BLU’s in a sour mood, especially Sniper who had been the victim of the RED Spy more than he was normally because Demoman’s words still occupied his mind. To make matters worse his arm had been bothering him all day; it was sore despite their being no signs of any wound either open or bruised.   
He did however meet up with Handler at dinner and managed to fake a good mood as he talked with her. She then brought up their earlier conversation and he led her outside of the base and the rest of the team’s hearing range.   
  
  
“So what did you want to ask me earlier Sniper?” asked Handler as she leaned against the base and looked up at the stars.  
  
“I was wondering if maybe you’d like to grab a bit to eat in town later this week?” replied Sniper which grabbed Handler’s attention so that she looked at him.  
  
“Like a date? Is that allowed?” Her tone was hesitant as she wondered if the rules would even allow such interaction between teammates.  
  
“Yeh and as for rules…”began Sniper as he approached her with a devious  smile that succeeded in bringing one to her face as well.  
  
“As long as it doesn’t affect our jobs I don’t see why not, we are on the same team sheila.”   
  
“You're right…okay how about tomorrow at eight meet me at your van?”   
  
“Sure sheila”   
  
“See ya then” replied Handler before going back into the base to leave Sniper   
alone in the cold night air.   
  
‘That wasn’t so hard’ thought Sniper as he made his way back to his van, thinking about where he would take Handler to tomorrow night.   
He was thinking about the diner off the nearby highway when suddenly his stomach began to turn violently to the point he doubled over. Remembering what Demoman said he looked at his watch and sure enough it was midnight on the dot.  He staggered over to his bathroom and began to vomit into the toilet, gripping the rim so hard his fingertips hurt as did his mouth and ears…Eyes widened as he saw blood in the toilet water followed by splashing as four of his teeth fell into the water. . He immediately checked his mouth in the mirror and his heart stopped as he saw fangs growing when his canine teeth should be.  
  
“What the bloody hell!?!”cried Sniper only to hiss as he felt something cut the corner of his mouth where his finger was as blood filled his mouth. He pulled his hand back to see black claws pushing the nails off his fingertips. Grabbing his sink he closed his eyes in denial.  
  
“I’m hallucinating, damn Cyclops must have put something in my dinner,some kind of drug, it’s just a drug, it just a- AAAHHH” Sniper cried out as a large crack came from his back and he felt his shoulders broaden. After a few more cracks and pops it was over and he looked up at his reflection in the mirror and removed his glasses and hat to get a better look at his new form…  
  
His eyes were yellow and glowing slightly, widening as he saw his ears that were also now usually pointed while his brows had gotten thicker and were nearly meeting in the middle. The fangs were still there and were definitely noticeable as was his gain in muscles tone but all and all it wasn’t too bad, not something he could let the team see but not something he couldn’t live with.  
  
Then he grabbed his head as the normally soothing outside noises  became painful and the smells, oh the smells made him want to vomit, it all mingled together into a sickening experience that allowed no room for thought other than stopping it. He stumbled to his bed and grabbed the pillow and pressed it against his head as he pressed against the mattress.  
  
The effect was immediate and he was finally able to think as he slowly got used to his heightened senses. Till exhaustion from that day’s battle and the change claimed him as all he could think about was beating the shit out of Demoman till the scot told him what was happening to him… 


	6. Crazy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sniper gets closer to Handler he feels he is getting farther from having a grip on his mind.

The following morning Sniper awoke to the morning light streaming in his windows only to curse loudly as he realized he had slept in. Moments later he heard a fierce banging on his back door that felt like someone was pounding on his skull.  
  
“This is not a camping trip sheila! I expect each soldier here to be awake at six hundred hours sharp! It is now seven hundred hours maggot! Now get up and prepare to leave as we will not be late so you can have your precious breakfast!” yelled Soldier so loudly Sniper was not sure if Soldier was just very pissed or if it was an after effect of last night…  
  
He ran to the bathroom, the sound of his movement enough to satisfy Soldier who proceeded to return to the base to get the rest of his team ready. Once in front of the mirror he looked at his reflection and sighed, his face was back to normal.  
  
“Bloody drugs must have worn off.” muttered Sniper as he finished his inspection and then proceeded to get dressed only for another knocking on his back door, this time much softer along with a bark. His lip twitched as he wanted to smile but last night was still on his mind as he opened to door for the K-9 unit. The lazy smile did finally work its way on his face when he realized Handler had brought him some breakfast.   
  
“Sorry it’s not much, just some doughnuts from the supply closet.” said Handler as she threw the package of mini doughnuts to Sniper’s waiting hands. She then pulled out a thermos of what he thought would be coffee but when he opened it he was confused to find some kind of cold yellow mixture.   
  
“It’s a smoothie, it has banana, honey, milk and crushed ice, it’s a hangover remedy I found out about on the west coast.” remarked Handler, noticing his expression which only got more confused.  
  
“Why do you think I got rotten last night?" “asked Sniper.  
  
“Well you slept in pretty late and when I tried to wake you up earlier Demo stopped me, told me you two had been up late drinking…”began Handler only to trail off when she caught a flash of rage in Sniper’s eyes and she could have sworn she heard him growl.  
  
“You alright?” asked Handler only for him to shake his head and go towards the driver’s seat, sipping on the concoction she had given him as he did feel like he had a hangover. Handler and Hound jumped into the back of the van and she secured the back door before getting into the passenger’s seat.  
  
The drink was cold but sweet and creamy and at the very least the taste took his mind off his headache as Handler simply sat in her seat, fiddling with the radio before turning it off as Sniper gave a quick glare. He then sighed and glanced at her with a sorry expression on his face.  
  
“Sorry sheila, it was just too loud.” remarked Sniper which earned him a simple nod from Handler.  
  
The rest of the drive to Gravel Pit was spent in silence but as they left the van Handler spoke:  
  
“We are still on for that date tonight right?”  
  
“Yeh, but maybe we should leave at seven so we can get back sooner.”  
  
“That’s a good idea; don’t want to risk you sleeping in again.”   
  
“Oi. Soldier got up on me this morning for waking up late.”  
  
With that they made their way to BLU spawn and prepared for battle. Sniper had no time to talk to Demoman who was clearly avoiding him now, running out ahead as the gates opened and the sounds of battle commenced. Sniper’s headache was now just a minor ache but the noises of battle were still painful.  
  
‘What did you do to me?’ thought Sniper as he noticed his heightened senses were not wearing off though that wasn’t too bad of a thing as he caught the RED Spy sneaking up into his nest.   
  
He grabbed his Kukri and whirled around, slashing at the cloaked spy, catching the back stabber’s wrist and sending the knife flying as the spy decloaked and grabbed Sniper’s armed hand, twisting the wrist so that he dropped his blade.  
Now that both were disarmed melee wise the Sniper decked the enemy Spy and the two began a fierce struggle only for the RED Spy to kick Sniper backwards so that he could pull out his revolver. Then Sniper cried out in pain as three bullets made their way into his flesh and the sound of the muffled revolver still pierced his ears. Then his vision was tinted red as the RED spy taunted him as he retrieved his Kukri and charged the spy who began shooting again but Sniper was only aware of his rage as the enemy spy shrilly screamed as he was disemboweled and crumpled to the floor. Sniper snarled and bent down to the body and for a moment was transfixed by the gore, it looked so…appetizing…Then Sniper collapsed , his injuries now making themselves known and in moments he found himself in spawn…  
  
He stood there for a moment in deep thought about what had just happened. His rage disturbed him, true he got mad when fighting the REDs and let that anger fuel his job performance but that rage…it had been suicidal and why had he had such thoughts about human flesh? It actually frightened him and for the remainder of the battle he kept his battles at long range, retreating when he heard anyone approach.   
However the BLU team did win as Sniper headshot the RED Medic, Heavy and Engineer in rapid succession, allowing his team to bust through the weakened defense to capture the last point and win the battle.   
  
Yet he barely registered their praises when the team met back up in the mess hall, having barely spoken to Handler on the drive back to 2Fort. He didn’t even treat himself to a beer as was his victory ritual figuring he didn’t need to add alcohol to his troubled mind.  
  
He had thought about cancelling their date till he could talk to Demoman but the cyclops seemed to be making it a point to spend time with the rest of the team trying to mend fences…If Sniper cancelled on Handler when he had been the one to ask her and confirm it just that morning he feared he might lose any chance at her.  
The hours seemed to crawl by as he contemplated his situation beginning to doubt his drug theory and wondering if he was just going insane. The only way he could verify that he wasn’t losing his marbles was if someone saw him change but if he wasn’t crazy and it was true…He shuddered at the thought of being permanently  killed by a teammate or worse…  
  
Then he heard the knock on the door and looked down at his watch, it was indeed seven on the dot.  
  
“Give me a moment sheila. “called Sniper as he got up from his bed and opened to the back doors. His eyes went wide as he took in the sight before him…  
Handler was in a plain dark blue dress that went to her knees along with black flats and her hair teased into a bun. On her face were the slightest traces of makeup and around her neck was a long string of black beads and silver hoops replaced her normal studs. She smiled at his reaction and gave a small chuckle.  
  
“You act like you’ve never seen a woman before.” remarked Handler which broke Sniper out of his trance as he blushed.   
  
“I didn’t expect ya to pretty yourself up so much.” replied Sniper, rubbing the back of his neck.   
  
“I know you and the rest of the team don’t mind me dressing like a guy but I figured if we are going out in public I might as well look the part.” said Handler.   
  
“You didn’t have to do that sheila.” replied Sniper.  
  
“I know.” replied Handler.  
  
He jumped out of the back and went over to the passenger side door and helped her inside before getting in the driver’s side. Starting the van he got out of the parking lot and made his way to the highway.  
  
“So where are we going?” asked Handler.  
  
“You’ll see.” replied Sniper and after a few minutes he pulled into a diner called “Mel’s Place” and helped Handler out of the van, a smile was on her face, happy that he had enough class not to take her to the usual bar in town.   
The two walked in and found themselves a booth. An old crone of a waitress took her time getting to them but was rather pleasant as she took their drink orders with Handler getting a coke and Sniper getting a black coffee to Handler’s amusement.  
  
“You plan on getting breakfast with that coffee?” asked Handler after the waitress has returned with their drinks.  
  
“No. ”replied Sniper, raising a brow at her as he took a sip of his cup of coffee.  
  
“No wonder you jar your piss, probably be in the toilet the whole battle with the amount of coffee you drink.” joked Handler with a giggle which made Sniper chuckle much to the waitress’s confusion   
  
“Are you two ready to order?” she asked, her tone a bit uneasy.  
  
“Oi, I’ll have a hamburger with tomato, shredded lettuce, fried onions and   
barbeque sauce.” said Sniper with made the waitress eye him for a moment before turning to Handler.  
  
“I’ll have a cheeseburger with no tomato or pickles. “said Handler.  
  
“It’ll be right out. “said the waitress before leaving and yelling some restaurant code at the chef.  
  
The two mercenaries had a grand time talking about everything from the rarity of pickles in Australia to whether ketchup or barbeque sauce was better to finally how old they were.  
  
“I'll be stuffed you're twenty nine?” questioned Sniper.  
  
“I can’t believe you're only thirty four.” remarked Handler which Sniper huffed at.  
  
“It’s being out baking in the Outback sun sheila, age you quicker than anything. “replied Sniper.  
  
“Why did you spend so much time in the Outback? You’re always telling some tale of survival, of you singly handedly taking on the harsh Australian Outback. “questioned Handler only for Sniper to look away, clearly she had hit a nerve.   
  
“I’m sorry Sniper, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable you don’t have to tell me why-“began Handler only to be interrupted by the arrival of their food.   
  
Sniper dug into his food as did Handler but only half heartily as she realized she had pushed too far, too soon. This did not go unnoticed by Sniper who put down his burger with a sigh.  
  
“Shelia I didn’t mean to get cranky with ya it’s just this isn’t easy for me, being with people, let alone on a date…”said Sniper.  
  
“I know but I’m glad you asked me.” said Handler to which Sniper nodded and returned to his burger as did Handler.   
  
After dinner they enjoyed some New York -style cheesecake with strawberries, it was Handler’s idea and it was amusing to see Sniper try something new as he was used to unbaked cheesecake. Despite his comments that his mum’s was better Handler knew he enjoyed it as he had released a hum after his first bite. They talked for hours in the diner and would have talked all night if Handler hand’ mentioned that it was eleven fifteen.   
  
As she mentioned they should go back as they had a battle tomorrow at the Well and with the trains they couldn’t afford to be sleepy she noticed the color drain from Sniper’s face. Before she could ask if he was alright he ran to the counter and paid the check. Handler took the hint and was waiting by the van by the time he was done. He quickly helped her in and drove back to the base like a bat out of hell. By the time they got back it was fifteen minutes to midnight. As Sniper helped Handler out she paused and looked him in the eyes.  
  
“I had a good time tonight, maybe we could catch a movie sometime?” said Handler with a smile.   
  
“Oi, I did too sheila and thanks a heap for giving me a fair go…That would be good.” replied Sniper, trying so hard to smile but his nerves were starting to get the better of him.  
  
“So next weekend, perhaps Saturday night so we have all night?” asked Handler as they had Sundays off.   
  
“ Yeh, see ya real soon.” said Sniper only to freeze as Handler leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek before going into the base.  
  
He watched her go, waving when she turned back to look at him when she got to the door. With another wave he said goodnight and made his way into his van. His smile from the good night he had had with Handler faded as he felt that achiness return. In a rush he made sure all the doors were locked and windows covered to make sure no one could see in case it was real.  To his dread his features were painfully twisted again but to his relief his heightened senses did not send him into agony.  
  
“Must be adjustin.” whispered Sniper before making his way to his bathroom to examine himself. He was hairier and he could have sworn there was a lump on the base of his spine and the traits from the night before. He washed up and stripped to his just his pants before climbing into bed for the night, his thoughts were of Handler and wondering if she would accept him if this was real… 


	7. How Far?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What defines humanity, one's form or their mind? Which is worse to lose?

The week came and went, the days seeming to past too quickly for the Sniper while the nights seemed to drag on. Each night he seemed to be getting worse with more hair, longer claws and fangs as well as his ears. That bump he had felt on his spine was also getting bigger and he was really starting to hope he was going insane. Medic could treat insanity, he had all those different kinds of pills, and one of them had to stop this. However there was that nagging thought that was getting stronger with each night…what if this was real?    
  
‘Then no one can help this poor mongrel’ Sniper would think to himself.    
  
He couldn’t go to Medic if this was real, the doctor was an okay guy for a mercenary but he always looked at things in such a cold and sometimes creepy way. The thing Sniper dreaded most about seeing Medic and this curse being real wasn’t that Medic would kill him. No, his deepest fear was that it was much more likely the doctor would capture him and experiment on him, make him into a weapon against the REDs…He had to have someone watch him change, to see if it was real and he could only trust one person with that…   
  
“Sniper are you okay? “asked  Handler, her expression was concerned and the rest of the team was also looking at him.   
  
“Yeah Snipah, you look like a zombie.” called Scout from down the table, his words might be teasing but there was real concern in his voice, which was rare for the Bostonian.    
  
A huff came from Sniper as he got up and left his barely touched breakfast on the table. He was aware that his condition was affecting his physical being, he was almost always tired and dark shadows were appearing under his eyes. His physique was changing as well, he was getting leaner, and whether it was his condition or his lowered food intake due to stress he wasn’t sure. He slowed down as he heard someone following him and he whirled around with a nasty expression to find himself facing Medic.   
  
“What the bloody hell do you want?” growled Sniper.   
  
“Herr Sniper while it your job to shoot zings from afar, it is my job to make sure zis team is in fighting condition. You are not vell and it does not take a trained eye to see zat. I vant you to come in for an examination after today’s fight.” said Medic, his expression calm and his voice had a hint of concern but that was swallowed by his clear interest in having a patient.   
  
“Well doc I already promised to see a movie with Handler after work so how about tomorrow.” said Sniper, not really asking but telling Medic who lit up as that would give him more time to examine Sniper.     
  
“Vine, try not to get her zick as vell.”said Medic before turning away and going back to his place near Heavy.   
  
Everyone left Sniper alone till they all met in spawn at the Well and even then it was just pre-battle pumping up. The battle itself went rather well in that he was able to get a few headshots and avoided being hit by the trains but it was another loss for the BLU team. While it wasn’t his fault, Sniper felt he was partly responsible, his condition was starting to noticeable distract him and  he was starting to get worse…   
  
After the fight he avoided the rest of the team and didn’t bother to try to get Demoman alone, the scot was doing all in his power to never be alone around the Sniper and it was making Sniper resent him. The team could sense the tension and where confused as to the cause and torn about who to support. Sniper knew he could count on Handler if things escalated but the rest he wasn’t sure about. Engineer and Medic were level headed, often trying to resolve disputes. Heavy would side with Medic while Pyro would go hide like a child. Scout was unreliable and would often make snap decisions when things got heated. Solider would just yell at whoever got on his bad side first why Spy…he would most likely observe and be a spectator. Then again Spy had carried his corpse to what he thought was a safe place when the RED Spy got into the base and took down almost the entire team…Yet none of that mattered if his condition was more than mere insanity, they would side with the human before the beast...   
  
These thoughts swirled around his mind as he sat in his van that he didn’t notice the time till Handler came to see him that night for their movie date. He suggested they watch a movie on his little TV and seeing his tired state she agreed. They settled on his bed and he turned the TV on. Flipping through the channels they found one that played scary movies and was just about play the movie “ The Night of the Living Dead”. The film was rather good, the gore was pretty convincing and the twists were so cruel. He chuckled at Handler’s fear of the zombies which earned him a shove before he wrapped an arm around her, tightening his hold whenever she jumped. When it was over he looked at Handler who looked sadden. He gave her a slight shake while saying:   
  
“They’re comin to get ya sheila!”   
  
“Oh don’t you start that!” replied Handler, sounding upset though he could tell she was hiding a smile as she playfully punched his side. He pretended it hurt and rubbed where she had hit before looking her in the eyes.   
  
“Don’t worry, we ain’t like those simpletons, we’d survive.” remarked Sniper.   
  
“It’s not the being eaten and it’s just I’m not sure what I would do if you turned into a zombie.” replied Handler which made Sniper laugh which made the bed shake.   
  
“I’d be the one to turn?” laughed Sniper.   
  
“Well yes, you did save me from getting bit before, who says you wouldn’t do it again?” said Handler before noticing that Sniper’s good mood was gone.   
  
“What’s wrong? “she asked.   
  
“Nothing.” lied Sniper but remembering their last date Handler decided not to push the issue…yet.   
  
Then the next movie started playing ‘Psycho”. Sniper found himself liking the film despite the low number of killings but what he really liked was well as how Handler would grip his hand at sudden plot twists. Yet as the film began to go more into Norman’s mental illness it struck too close to home and Sniper debated a moment before shutting it off.    
  
“Hey! Why did you shut off the TV?” asked  Handler only for Sniper to start flipping through channels as if she hadn’t said anything. She didn’t say anything for a moment as she studied his expression, to the causal eye he would seem uninterested and causal but she could sense the tension in the air.   
  
“Sniper…”said Handler as she took his hand in both of hers and removed the remote to shut off the TV. She then touched his face and gently turned his head so he was looking at her.   
  
“What’s wrong with you lately? You're tired, cranky, you're mad at Demo for some reason…And your battle performance is starting to slack, something I know you wouldn’t let happen unless something was really wrong…”questioned Handler and for a moment Sniper looked like he was going to tell her everything but then he winced as if in pain.    
Sniper needed to tell someone, needed to know what was going on with him, if it was real or insanity. As she touched his face and spoke to him he wanted to trust her, wanted to tell her everything and he was about too when he felt a deep pang within. It was something new and he wasn’t sure what would happen as the pain got worse. He looked away from her and closed his eyes.   
  
“Rack off sheila.” He whispered, more like he was begging then demanded.   
  
“What?”   
  
“I said get out.”   
  
“Sniper what-“   
  
“Get the hell out of my van!” yelled Sniper, interrupting her as he could feel the changes progressing, any moment they would become visible...   
  
Handler looked up at him in fear as he stood up and pointed to the back door, his expression was irate. Despite herself she began to cry when she was no longer facing him as she got up.    
  
His heart was being twisted at the sound of her tears but she wasn’t moving fast enough and he could feel his canines falling out of their sockets as the fangs made their way into his mouth.   
  
“GET THE BLOODY HELL OUT!” roared Sniper, trying desperately not to panic at the taste of blood in his mouth.

To his schock Handler turned around and back handed him with such force he reeled and ended up clutching his face. She then opened the back doors and jumped out before slamming them behind her.    
  
Anger filled her thoughts, anger at him but mostly at herself, how could she have allowed herself to feel for him so deeply? Why didn’t she know better? She had been down a similar road and it had led her to the life of being a hired killer. Hot tears flowed down her cheeks against her will as she made her way through the mess hall. She went past the rest of the team who stopped their card games, drinking and talking as she stormed by, clearly hurt and angry. Slamming the door to her room she was clearly telling them not to bother her and none of them did for the rest of the night.   
  
Meanwhile Sniper had stuffed a wooden spoon into his mouth to keep from screaming out of agony as he changed. His hands had thickened and the claws had gotten even longer, going from noticeable to dangerous and where now leaving marks on his counter as he tried to brace himself against the pain. Hot agony was running down his spine to that lump and his now yellow eyes closed as it began to twitch as a stubby tail. Cracking came from his feet as Sniper kicked his boots off so that he was standing on his toes.  His ears lengthened and went flat against his head as the spoon snapped in his jaws as his face noticeably elongated…   
  
Then it was done and he stood there panting as his body trembled from the exertion. Awkwardly he stumbled to the bathroom and looked at his face, still recognizable but changed to the point he couldn't pass as human. Then Sniper noticed his ears, one forward and the other back, a sign he had seen in dingoes where they approached something they were unsure about…   
  
Looking at himself in the mirror Sniper realized he hadn’t known the time when he had started changing and that he could never imagine such a twisted form…   
  
“Bloody hell this is real…”whimpered Sniper. He then noticed the bruise forming on his cheek.   
  
“What have I done?” he asked himself as he realized how much pain must have gone into such a hard hit. 

He snarled in frustration and glared back at himself in disgust, not only at what he had changed into but because of what it had prompted him to do.    
  
“I probably just ruined any bloody chance I had with her…”growled Sniper as he ran through the scene in his head.    
  
He then washed the blood from around his claws and his mouth, it was sickening how routine it was becoming, he even had set aside a rag for this purpose of washing after changing. He put it in the sink to clean later he saw the marks his claws had made in the counter and began to wonder how far this was all going to go… 


	8. A Good Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talks are had, advice is given and truths are shown.

It was late in the morning when Sniper could finally bring himself to face the rest of the team in the mess hall. He needed more supplies such as food and coffee as he was down to his back up rations in the van. As he entered the mess hall he immediately regretted it as most of the team glared at him expect…Demoman. Making his way to the supplies Sniper was interrupted by something hitting him in the back of the head. Sniper turned around with a snarl on his lips to see that it was an orange. His glare immediately went to Scout who looked even madder than him.  
  
“Yeah that’s right I threw that ya frickin’ rat! I’m goin say what the rest of are thinking. You are an idiot for making Handler cry like that!...I see she got in a good hit on you wuss. I hope-“  
  
“Enough boy, quit being a child. I talked with Handler, she says it was a simple argument and that she was the only one to throw a punch. So don’t jump to conclusions you can’t back up.” interrupted Engineer but the rest of the team didn’t seem convinced and Sniper gave a nod to Engineer before going for his supplies.   
  
He made it to the supply closet before he heard the creak of someone else’s footsteps. Turning around he came face to face with Spy.  
  
“Bushman I noticed your bruise and I would like to hear from your own mouth that you did not harm Handler.” said Spy, his expression cold and professional.   
  
“No, no I didn’t hit her, I didn’t touch her ya bloody spook.” snarled Sniper as he went to walk past Spy only for Spy to grab his shoulder.  
  
“Monsieur Mundy I have something to say, it will only take a moment but it is important you hear it.” said Spy which made Sniper turn to look at him.  
  
“Go ahead.”  
  
“I am not going to say I know what is going on with you but it does not take a spy to see that something is deeply troubling you mon ami. It would be best for you to know that there is someone here you cares for you, Handler.” said Spy letting it sink in.  
  
“Your point?” asked Sniper, trying to play it off but Spy could tell Sniper was desperate.  
  
“I want you to know that to find a woman who is willing to accept our…profession is rare. That she is not insane or just wanting to use you is even rarer. Even amongst those women very few will be able to see you in action and not treat you differently, trust me. Handler is a fellow mercenary and has seen you in action and despite her past still wants to be with you, you will not find another like her in this lifetime.” explained Spy, clearly from past experience.  
  
“What do ya mean despite her past?” asked Sniper as he cocked a brow.  
  
“She will have to tell you herself…I found out by viewing certain sources…The point is that for a hired killer she is a good woman and you are extremely fortunate to have caught her eye...”said Spy before moving aside and walking back towards his room to leave Sniper to contemplate his words.  
  
The Spy’s words only confirmed what Sniper already knew and as he grabbed his supplies he was in deep thought.   
  
‘ I made a blue...How can I fix this?’ he asked himself mentally and he knew the answer but kept trying to work around it as he sorted through the food.   
  
That’s when Sniper saw the cheese and a container of little snack cakes and that night at the dinner ran through his mind…  
  
“I have no bloody choice.” whispered Sniper as he put his snacks and coffee in a bag before leaving the room.   
  
As Sniper walked down the hall to the rooms the others slept in he took some deep breaths to steady himself as he knocked on the former supply room door.  
  
“For the last time Medic I am fine! I don’t need a checkup, he didn’t do anything to me.” snapped Handler from the other side of the door.  
  
“I ain’t the doc sheila.” responded Sniper and with his heightened senses he could hear her faint gasp of surprise.   
  
“What do you want?” asked Handler, a note of anger to her voice and he could hear Hound growl, catching on to his master’s voice.   
  
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for spewin at you last night” said Sniper and his pained tone caught Handler’s attention.   
  
She got off her bed and opened the door to glare at him.  
  
“Tell me why you acted like that when we were having such a good time. You could have said no and I would have backed off, you know that. So why?” asked Handler which made Sniper rub the back of his neck as he looked away.  
  
“Ya…Come to my van at a quarter past midnight and I will show ya.” said Sniper, clearly uncomfortable at the thought.  
  
“Why can’t you tell me?” asked Handler, she didn’t comment on how late that time was because it didn’t matter to her.  
  
“Ya would think me a bloody loon. ”said Sniper, his tone serious and enough for Handler not to push as she could clearly see this was hard for him.  
  
“Fine but if this is something stupid…You can explain to Soldier why we are tired tomorrow.” said Handler to which Sniper nodded before leaving to the mess hall.   
  
He soon realized Handler had followed him but it was soon apparent that she was simply heading the same way as she went over to Engineer and Pyro. As Sniper watched them greet her and they began talking about how she was feeling he smiled. This smile quickly vanished as he caught the Medic’s scent which was composed of chemicals and bird.   
  
“Vell Herr Sniper, it is tomorrow and time for your examination.” said the Medic, his voice firm but with a hint of cheer in it.   
  
“Doc I’m fine. “said Sniper as he turned to face the Medic only to realize the doctor would have none of it and simply motioned him to follow.   
  
Once in the office, Medic gestured him to the table under the ceiling medi-gun and went to retrieve his chart. Sniper looked around, noting the bookshelves with titles he could barely understand  as well as a skeleton in the corner which was probably real knowing the Medic. That dove was perched nearby as if waiting for something, looking at him with those cold black eyes…  
  
“Herr Sniper vhy don’t ve start with you telling me your symptoms?” asked Medic as he held up his chart and pen looking at Sniper as if he was a science experiment.  
  
“Well doc I’ve been havin a hard time sleepin is all.” replied Sniper, hoping he could get the doc to believe he had a simple case of insomnia.  
  
“How so?” asked the Medic as he wrote down on his chart.  
  
“I just can’t get to sleep, I’m getting less than six hours a night doc. I feel stuffed all the time.  ” said Sniper, he was telling the truth…mostly.   
  
“I see, so vhy haven’t you come to see me sooner?” questioned Medic, looking suspicious.   
  
“ I was just hopin it would go away by itself.” replied Sniper.  
  
“Vell it vould explain your tiredness, lack of focus and your temper…”said Medic, seeming a bit disappointed before turning around to his shelf of pills and after looking at a few bottles he handed one to Sniper.  
  
“Take one of these one hour before bed and Herr Sniper? “said Medic as Sniper looked up from looking at the bottle in his hands.  
  
“Yeh doc?”  
  
“I vould also suggest lying off ze coffee. Too much caffeine can cause insomnia.” remarked Medic before dismissing him.   
  
Sniper made his way back to his van with bottle and bag in hand. Once he was inside he put away his rations and resisted the urge to make himself a fresh pot of coffee despite being rather tired. Taking some soap Sniper cleaned the bloody rag in the sink but it would always be stained but at least he could claim it was rust or dirt.   
The rest of the day passed too quickly for his taste as Sniper sat on his bed and watched TV, not really paying attention to it as he thought about what he was going to do that night. Sniper prayed Handler didn’t come early; his condition was hard enough to look at let alone watch happen. As the sky darkened and the hours seemed to fly by Sniper checked his watch periodically and at around 11:50 he began to get ready. He removed his boots and socks as well as his glove, vest, hat and glasses before searching for something to stuff in his mouth so his screams wouldn’t bring the whole team to his van. Sniper finally had to settle for another rag and stuffed it into his mouth before sitting on his bed.  
  
As the pangs began Sniper arched his spine and tried to keep moving his body so that the pain would be eased in his joints. Sniper wished he could lie down on his bed but he would get blood on his sheets and standing up was now out of the question due to the new shape his feet were taking. Biting down on the rag he began to moan as the ache moved from his limbs to his spine. Then there was a knock on the back door and Sniper went pale as he realized Handler had indeed come early. He had left the  back door unlocked for her because he found it difficult to open with his warped hands…  
  
“Don’t come in yet!” he called after spitting out the rag only to groan as his organs twisted and he doubled over while his ribcage expanded outward a little, testing the strength of his shirt.   
  
“Sniper we both know the sooner we get this over with the better. “called Handler.  
  
“Not yet, just five more minutes, please. ”whimpered Sniper before yelling out as the tail made itself evident.   
  
“Sniper are you okay!?!” called Handler as she went for the handle of the door.  
  
“YeAARGGG” snarled Sniper as he grabbed his head and stumbled to his changing feet as he tried to get to the bathroom only for Handler to open the door at the sounds of his distress.  
  
Handler froze as she noticed he was taller and as she looked him over she took a step back.   
  
“Sniper?” she whispered  only to hear him cry out again as he shuddered. She then ran to him and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“No!” begged Sniper as Handler turned him around to see his twisted face, he was barely recognizable and looked…  
  
“Oh god…”she whispered before backing away from him as he fully turned around.   
  
Despite herself Handler cringed as Sniper reached out to her before starting to cry.  
Sniper backed away from her, pain and a slight panic in his eyes. Handler now knew and she wasn’t accepting, she could run away from him now and tell everyone and…he couldn’t bring himself to kill her to save himself…  
  
Sniper put  his hands over his face and backed into the passenger seat before sliding down against it. Those horrible ears twitched at footsteps and he could feel bile rise in his throat as he imagined what the team would do. Then Sniper felt hands pulling at his and he resisted only to realize that the hands were more slender then those of any of his teammates expect…  
  
As Sniper finally lowered his hands he found himself looking into the tearing eyes of Handler, to say she wasn’t frightened would have been a lie but she  looked like she was broken, as if she had lost something…Sniper realized it was him, she was afraid she had lost him. He gave his normal lazy smile, careful not to show his teeth as he curled his fingers so they were  over hers.  
  
“G’day sheila.” he whispered, tears forming in his eyes at the emotion of it all.   
  
Handler gave a small smile before leaning forward against his chest as she started crying again as he released her hands which she then wrapped around him.  
  
“Oh Sniper, I’m so sorry.” she sobbed into his shirt as her tears soaked through both layers of fabric.  
  
Sniper let her cry for a moment before soothingly rubbing her back, careful not to claw her. As her crying slowed Sniper lifted her chin so that she was looking up at him.  
  
“Don’t say you’re sorry sheila, it’s not your fault.” said Sniper, his voice firm and she nodded before leaning back and looking him over.  
  
“How…” she began but was unable to finish.  
  
“I’m not sure how this bloody thing works but it started the night after that bloody bitzer bit me and…” His gaze went elsewhere.  
  
“What is it?” she asked softly as she gently touched his cheek so that he was looking at her again.  
  
“It’s gettin worse every night…” he admitted and Handler grabbed his head and brought it to rest on her chest.  
  
“Go ahead, I won’t tell anyone.” She whispered.  
  
It was slow at first but gradually Sniper began to cry, his shoulders shaking as he let out all the pain and fear that had been building for over the past week. He hadn’t cried like this since he was a boy and while he never would admit it, the crying made him feel better as Handler rubbed his back and cooed some soothing tone.   
  
Handler looked down at Sniper, noting a different change every time she looked at him, this time she noticed the tail that had pushed the back of his pants down to expose the small of his back. It was covered in brown fur down to the tail tip and as she stroked his back she could feel it under his layers of shirts and could see it on the back of his neck where it blended seemliness with his hair. As Handler remembered the beast from that night she closed her eyes in pain, it had had been a very large wolf with no trace of humanity in its form… poor Sniper’s suffering was only starting…. 


	9. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are a roller coaster of good and bad as the days pass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work will not be updated for a few weeks as I got back and edit the posted chapters to my current writing style.

An alarm clock went off at six in the morning and Handler woke up to country music which made her raise a brow as she looked around in the dark, realizing she wasn’t in her room. A sigh escaped her as she realized she was in Sniper’s van and in his bed. Thankfully she was fully dressed so they hadn’t done anything, not she had a lapse of memory but it also meant that last night had happened…She saw movement from the front seat followed by a loud crack and a groan as Sniper stretched his back. His silhouette from the dashboard revealed that he had not changed back and his muffled cussing as he looked in the rearview mirror confirmed that he knew it.   
  
He had told her he would be back to normal by the time she woke up but sunrise was over thirty minutes away. Not wanting to move things too quickly he had taken the front seat and let her have the bed despite her protests that it was his van. To keep from being discovered he had slept with a blanket covering most of his body and his hat on but he was paying for it with a sore neck and aching back. He went to rub it only to growl as his claws scratched his back and made him bleed. Putting his face in his hand he leaned forward and began to wallow in self-pity till he felt something touching his back.   
  
A sigh escaped his lips as Handler’s hands worked deep into his tissue to eat away the tension locked within the muscles. The good feeling was dampened by the fact that Handler would occasionally pause when she ran across some oddity but she made no noise of disgust.  When she was done she leaned forward and kissed his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck.   
  
“Good morning Sniper.” she whispered and smiled when he kissed her nose.  
  
“G’day sheila.” replied Sniper before his stomach growled which made Handler let loose of him and head towards the back of the van but he grabbed her wrist.  
  
“I got some tucker in here.” he informed her before getting up and heading to his small set of cabinets.   
  
He pulled out some doughnuts and two green apples before grabbing the coffee. As he made a pot he bit into his green apple causing juice to run down his chin. Licking his chin he caught Handler smiling and giggling at him.  
  
“What? Never seen a bloke eat a Granny Smith before?” he asked.   
  
“No, it’s just…funny to see how you eat one; you look like you enjoy it a lot. “said Handler.  
  
“Well it reminds me of my mum’s apple tree and snacking under its shade when Dad wasn’t lookin.” said Sniper as he sat next to Handler on the bed. She leaned against him.  
  
“So you grew up on an orchard?” she asked.  
  
“Not exactly, she had a bunch of different fruit plants, mostly shrubs but a few trees. It was a rare day we had to go to market for fruit.” answered Sniper.  
  
“So what did your family do for a living?”  
  
“Well we were sheepherders, my dad and me with a few hired hands when I was younger. We had a ranged flock; that is a very large number of jumbucks that we fed by pasturing on our station. Had to use a few dogs to protect the flock which we managed on horseback…”explained Sniper before looking at Handler to see she was trying hard not to laugh.  
  
“What? “he asked which only made her look like she wanted to laugh more.  
  
“Promise not to get mad? “she asked.   
  
“Fine, now what the bloody hell is so funny?” he questioned.  
  
“You were a sheepherder and now you’re a werewolf, talk about ironic. “she said and smiled when Sniper cracked a smile and chuckled at the situation.  
  
“I never thought of it like that.” said Sniper. Handler then kissed his cheek again and went to leave.  
  
“Got to go change my clothes and freshen up. I’ll be back in time to ride with you to the Well.” She said before he could ask her to stay.  
  
After she left Sniper went to freshen up himself and felt immense relief as he changed back. He changed his clothes and got into his full uniform. By the time he was finished he could hear her return with Hound. He opened the back to let Hound in and then the side for Handler.   
  
At the Well they could hear some of the team joke about them having spent the night together but Sniper’s glare kept them from annoying Handler about it. He informed them that they  had just slept in the van together but not even side by side in the bed when she was out of ear shot. The battle went pretty well and Sniper was back to his normal quality of job performance, beginning to revel in his new senses because he was no longer dealing with his condition alone. With that mental burden lifted he helped the BLU team to a swift victory over the REDS.  
  
When they got back to 2fort he had his customary victory beer and enjoyed himself by talking with the team and playing various games before Soldier enforced lights out and demanded everyone sleep in their own rooms, his statement clearly directed at Sniper and Handler who agreed.   
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The two simply started walking up at five in the morning so they got some quality time before battle and so Handler wasn’t avoiding his altered state. However his form was becoming more wolven with every passing night, not drastically but noticeably and the pain was increasing.  
  
It was the twentieth of April and eighteen days into his curse when it took a frightening turn. That night Handler stayed with him Sniper, enjoying some chocolate malted milk balls as they watched a romance movie called “Romeo and Juliet”. Handler liked it but Sniper was getting bored so Handler kissed his cheek a little closer to his lips then usual and a little longer too. Noticing this Sniper looked at her with a brow raised and she nodded, consenting to what he had planned.   
  
He kissed her on the lips and she leaned into it before he withdrew, both of them smiling. Then he moved some loose hair from her braid behind her ear and went in for another kiss. This time she opened her mouth and invited him in, a hum escaped them both as they enjoyed the way the other tasted, he like coffee and her like chocolate which combined into a heavenly taste as their kissing began to get more passionate. Her hands made their way from his chest to his shoulders till they touched his neck and tickled behind his ears. His hands went to her hair, removing the hair tie so he could have a better grip. Neither noticed the cracking coming from Sniper, as his heart began to race, above their moans nor did Sniper realize that he was swallowing his canines. It wasn’t till Handler gave a muffled cry and warmth filled his mouth did either realize that Sniper was changing almost a full two hours before midnight.   
  
As Handler removed her mouth from his he was tempted to swallow the salty sweetness that remained in his mouth but as he saw the blood trickle from her mouth he spat it out into his coffee cup. He gently moved his hands so that he could look in her mouth and he was shocked by what he saw…  
  
There was a large slice in her tongue that was oozing blood. Sniper stood up to get her some gauze from his bathroom when he fell forward over his changed feet. Handler tried to help him up, gulping down the blood that was filling her mouth only for Sniper to shake his head as he began to change back, his heart rate going down.   
  
“Go get me kit from under the sink.” said Sniper. The kit he was referring to was his old first aid kit from when he was a tracker in the bush and professional medicine wasn’t an option.  
  
After taking a second to spit blood into the sink she returned with the kit which Sniper quickly took and opened as he got on his knees. He took out gauze, a small curved needle, surgical thread and a lighter. Handler grimaced as he took the needle, threaded it and then heated it with the lighter to sanitize it. She kneeled before him and opened her mouth looking rather nervous.   
  
Wiping the excess blood away he then pierced her tongue with the needle which made her whimper but she didn’t jerk away as he began to stitch the flesh back together. When he was done he went to the sink and washed his hands of her blood before grabbing a bottle of whiskey and a glass. He then poured a bit of the whiskey and handed it to Handler who looked scared but took it. Kneeling back down he took her free hand into his and looked at her with sympathy as she swirled it around her mouth. It burned like fire and hurt worse than the stitching but it would help prevent infection. When he nodded she quickly spit the bloody fluid into the glass and handed it back to him. As he poured it out he was mentally kicking himself for hurting her until she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him from behind. She tried to speak but it came out more garbled then Pyro was at times which only made him feel worse when he turned around to face her.  
  
“I’m sorry sheila; I didn’t mean to-“he was interrupted as Handler kissed his lips before withdrawing to look at him with a smile with brought one to his face.  
  
‘This complicates things’ the two of them thought but didn’t say as they returned to watching TV before Handler left before lights out at eleven pm, the two parting with a peck on the lips.  
  
In spawn before the battle the following day Sniper was surprised when Demoman pulled him aside out of ear shot of the others.  
  
“Wot the bloody hell do ya think ya are doing lad?!?” questioned Demoman which made Sniper give him a glare.  
  
“Getting ready to do my job ya bogan.” growled Sniper only for Demoman to look at him with an eye that was clear.  
  
“I’m talkin about ya being with Handler!” snapped the scot.  
  
“It’s not against the rules.” said Sniper dismissively.  
  
“I ain’t talkin about that, I mean how could ya show her?!?” said Demoman as he poked Sniper in the chest. 

This made Sniper gulp before grabbing Demoman by his shirt and pulling him close.  
  
“I didn’t have a bloody choice sense someone wasn’t making himself heaps helpful. Ya warned me about this now tell me what ya know ya wanker.” hissed Sniper.  
  
“No time boyo but know this, ya are a danger to her and you’re only going to get worst. Your mind is going to start going the closer to the full moon ya get. “whispered Demoman.  
  
“How?” asked Sniper, a snarl on his lips but begging in his eyes.  
  
“You’re going to have urges to be a bloody cannibal but ya already knew that didn’t ya lad?” questioned Demoman only to be lifted off his feet by Sniper.  
  
“How do ya know all this ya bloody mongrel!?!” shouted Sniper only for Demoman to look away and Sniper followed his gaze to see the rest of the team looking at them.  
  
He lowered Demoman down as Soldier glared at him while Heavy made a motion to approach them. Demoman rubbed his neck as gave a thumb up that he was okay while Sniper turned away to retrieve his weapons from his locker. Despite being a professional killer Sniper had his standards and his taboos, the first being that cannibalism was for the weak, desperate and/or insane.  Yet he had to admit that he had been having…thoughts during battle, especially when he came upon enemies that had been gibbed. Last night had been the first time he had thought about consuming a teammate, even if it was just her blood…  
  
That battle was a hard one with Sniper refusing to provide cover fire for Demoman when he returned with the last needed briefcase of intelligence to win the game. Thankfully Scout picked up the intelligence when Demoman dropped it as he was headshotted by the RED Sniper. This did not go unnoticed and when the battle was done Sniper was brutally berated by Soldier for his lack of teamwork.  
  
Sniper spent the rest of the day and night alone as Soldier had “grounded” Sniper from Handler’s presence in his van for the rest of the day and had also cut Sniper’s coffee rations for an undefined period of time…  
  
Meanwhile Handler was being left threatening letters that if she didn’t leave Sniper then his secret would be exposed, she had found one in the bathroom that morning, in her locker and in her room when she returned with Hound from battle. She held the latest letter up to Hound’s nose but he whined in frustration, meaning that the scent was one that was all over the base which meant a teammate knew about Sniper’s condition…As she went to leave the mess hall she noticed that Heavy got up and blocked the door.  
  
“Sorry Handler but Soldier say not today.” spoke the large Russian, a sorry look on his face but he had his orders and anyone that knew him knew that Heavy was a loyal man.  
  
“Fine, can I just let Hound out then? He needs to go to the bathroom. ”said Handler with a smile which melted the massive man and he nodded before opening the door for Hound, not noticing the note in the dog’s collar.  
  
A scratching and barking came from Sniper’s back down and he opened it with a smile as the large dog jumped inside. As Hound licked him the Aussie began to give him a good rub down only to stop when a piece of paper fell out of the dog’s collar.  
  
“What’s this?” asked Sniper as he picked up the paper only for Hound to nudge his hand.   
  
With a shrug Sniper opened the paper and read:  
  
_Dear M,_  
  
_Someone has found out your secret, they threatened that if I stay with you it will be exposed. I don’t want to leave you but I don’t want to endanger you. So I leave this matter up to you._  
  
_Love,_  
_W._  
  
Sniper’s heart dropped at this news but he knew that it could only be Demoman and from the scot had said it wasn’t that he would tell Sniper’s secret but that Sniper would be exposed through doing something horrible to Handler…  
Pomping onto his bed he put his head in his hands in frustration before being nuzzled by Hound who looked up at him with what Sniper would have thought was encouragement.   
  
“Alright woofer, give me a minute.” said Sniper before searching for his notepad and pen. He found them on his counter and he wrote his own note:  
  
_Dear W,_  
  
_I know and I have spoken with them. I will explain tomorrow night but we are not done._  
_From,_  
  
_M._  
  
He then placed the note in Hound’s collar and sent the dog back to the base before closing the van to think of how to explain his…urges to Handler. 


End file.
